* A laptop is stolen every 53 seconds in the USA - Symantec
* Over 600,000 laptops are stolen each year in the USA - Safeware Insurance Agency
* 97% of these laptops are never recovered - FBI
* The second most common crime, just after identity theft, is laptop theft - FBI
* Lost or stolen laptops are the top culprit of data leaks/breaches, accounting for 45% (of all the incidents studied) - The Identity Theft Resource Center
* Laptops are the number-one item stolen in San Francisco - San Francisco Police Department
* University campuses are turning out to be a crook's best friend. Jacques Lachance, a security investigator at Concordia University, estimates that one laptop a week is stolen at the University. - Montreal Mirror, October 5, 2006
http://www.articlestree.com/technology/laptop-theft-statistics-and-prevention-tx376476.html
Showing posts with label CBook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CBook. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Why Not to Buy a Laptop for College
Portability Hype
"Not all locations on campus will support wifi meaning you will frequently find yourself running around campus looking for hotspots with decent signal strength. "
Varies from campus to campus. Here at Duke basically all public areas, many of the classrooms, and lots of the residence halls have wireless."
Also forget about using your laptop as a notebook, I have found most lecture tables to be just too small for laptops..."
Again, this will vary from place to place, and sometimes even building to building. Some of the classrooms at Duke are very tech friendly with good work surface and power at every chair. Others still look like they did in the 60's.
Productivity Hype
"Another misconception that many college students have is that a laptop will make them more productive. I have found that I have gotten better grades on essays in which my primary research came from offline sources, books from library, then online. I mean I would have been easily inclined to whip out my laptop and Google around the net for information..."
Durability and Security
Laptops are not necessarily more fragile, but they certainly are in situations that are likely to cause damage more frequently. As for lost or stolen, I have just one thing to say: backups. This is true for any computer user. Hard drives fail on desktops too, and sometimes sprinkler systems go off unexpectedly and destroy a desktop. So while I don't necessarily disagree with this point, the proactive solution is the same for either desktops or laptops. Sometimes I wish we would cut a deal with an off site backup group to provide secure, offside backup for any student who wants it. If we could get it down to like $10 a month per student I think we'd have a real winner.
http://connect.educause.edu/blog/pkscout/why_not_to_buy_a_laptop_for_college/
"Not all locations on campus will support wifi meaning you will frequently find yourself running around campus looking for hotspots with decent signal strength. "
Varies from campus to campus. Here at Duke basically all public areas, many of the classrooms, and lots of the residence halls have wireless."
Also forget about using your laptop as a notebook, I have found most lecture tables to be just too small for laptops..."
Again, this will vary from place to place, and sometimes even building to building. Some of the classrooms at Duke are very tech friendly with good work surface and power at every chair. Others still look like they did in the 60's.
Productivity Hype
"Another misconception that many college students have is that a laptop will make them more productive. I have found that I have gotten better grades on essays in which my primary research came from offline sources, books from library, then online. I mean I would have been easily inclined to whip out my laptop and Google around the net for information..."
Durability and Security
Laptops are not necessarily more fragile, but they certainly are in situations that are likely to cause damage more frequently. As for lost or stolen, I have just one thing to say: backups. This is true for any computer user. Hard drives fail on desktops too, and sometimes sprinkler systems go off unexpectedly and destroy a desktop. So while I don't necessarily disagree with this point, the proactive solution is the same for either desktops or laptops. Sometimes I wish we would cut a deal with an off site backup group to provide secure, offside backup for any student who wants it. If we could get it down to like $10 a month per student I think we'd have a real winner.
http://connect.educause.edu/blog/pkscout/why_not_to_buy_a_laptop_for_college/
Disadvantages
The following are some disadvantages of laptop use:
1. Students become easily distracted and use the notebook computers for purposes other than course-related activities. One way to prevent this from getting out-of-hand is to have "screen-up" and "screen-down" times. The computers go into a standby-mode when the screen is closed if the machine is still turned on - so a screen-up/down strategy is fast.
2. Students become easily distracted and use the notebook computers for purposes other than course-related activities. One way to prevent this from getting out-of-hand is to have "screen-up" and "screen-down" times. The computers go into a standby-mode when the screen is closed if the machine is still turned on - so a screen-up/down strategy is fast.
3. You may be teaching in classrooms with inappropriate furniture. If there are no power outlets, students can rely on batteries in their laptops... but they need to have the where-with-all to charge their notebooks earlier. If the classroom you use does not have appropriate desk surfaces, you should consult with the chair of your department. A number of classrooms have or will be upgraded with new furniture to enable the use of the notebooks.
http://ltc.udayton.edu/faculty/eclassroom/disadvantages.htm
1. Students become easily distracted and use the notebook computers for purposes other than course-related activities. One way to prevent this from getting out-of-hand is to have "screen-up" and "screen-down" times. The computers go into a standby-mode when the screen is closed if the machine is still turned on - so a screen-up/down strategy is fast.
2. Students become easily distracted and use the notebook computers for purposes other than course-related activities. One way to prevent this from getting out-of-hand is to have "screen-up" and "screen-down" times. The computers go into a standby-mode when the screen is closed if the machine is still turned on - so a screen-up/down strategy is fast.
3. You may be teaching in classrooms with inappropriate furniture. If there are no power outlets, students can rely on batteries in their laptops... but they need to have the where-with-all to charge their notebooks earlier. If the classroom you use does not have appropriate desk surfaces, you should consult with the chair of your department. A number of classrooms have or will be upgraded with new furniture to enable the use of the notebooks.
http://ltc.udayton.edu/faculty/eclassroom/disadvantages.htm
Why a Requirement for Laptops?
Digital portfolios. All teacher education majors are now required to produce a digital, Web-based portfolio to represent their competence with teaching and learning. To better facilitate this in university instruction, faculty need to be assured that all of their students have the best tools to complete the portfolio work in university classrooms and at home.
Support and infrastructure. With a large number of laptop-owning students, we can leverage the size of the BSU teacher education program to specialized support services and better information systems design. Computer vendors can design specialized support services knowing they have a fixed number of purchases per year. BSU can negotiate better deals on the purchase price when working with one vendor. We are also tuning our information infrastructure to take advantage of the anticipated critical mass of students who bring to class a state-of-the-art computer.
http://www.bsu.edu/teachers/laptops/usage/
Support and infrastructure. With a large number of laptop-owning students, we can leverage the size of the BSU teacher education program to specialized support services and better information systems design. Computer vendors can design specialized support services knowing they have a fixed number of purchases per year. BSU can negotiate better deals on the purchase price when working with one vendor. We are also tuning our information infrastructure to take advantage of the anticipated critical mass of students who bring to class a state-of-the-art computer.
http://www.bsu.edu/teachers/laptops/usage/
Laptops the smart choice for students entering college
You may ask: Why a laptop, which generally costs twice as much as a comparable desktop computer?
A quick Google search of many schools' minimum requirements shows the majority of colleges and universities recommend students bring laptops.
Laptops have certain advantages. They're portable and fit easily in cramped dorms. Students can carry them between classes and to the library. Most new laptops also include built-in wireless networking — a favorite network technology on many campuses, allowing students to seamlessly tap into the college or university computer system.
Consider your son or daughter's major when you shop. An engineering or architecture student needs a more powerful computer than an English major.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/2005-07-28-college-laptops_x.htm
A quick Google search of many schools' minimum requirements shows the majority of colleges and universities recommend students bring laptops.
Laptops have certain advantages. They're portable and fit easily in cramped dorms. Students can carry them between classes and to the library. Most new laptops also include built-in wireless networking — a favorite network technology on many campuses, allowing students to seamlessly tap into the college or university computer system.
Consider your son or daughter's major when you shop. An engineering or architecture student needs a more powerful computer than an English major.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/2005-07-28-college-laptops_x.htm
The Fight for Classroom Attention: Professor vs. Laptop
Like a growing number of college students, Michelle Mei brings her laptop to most of her classes at Bentley College, using it instead of a spiral notebook to take notes.
Well, sometimes she takes notes — if whatever the professor is going on about seems important. At other times, she uses the wireless Internet access in the college's classrooms to do some online shopping or chat using instant messenger. "If it's material that I know, most of the time I will surf the Internet a little bit," says Ms. Mei, a junior.
To keep students focused on class, some professors now ban laptops from their classrooms, arguing that the devices are just too much of a temptation. Other professors ask laptop users to sit in the front row, in part so the professors can glance down occasionally to see what is on the students' screens. And a few colleges, Bentley among them, have set up systems that let professors switch off classroom Internet access during some sessions.
Of course, professors also point to moments when having laptops and Internet access has helped illustrate a crucial point in a lecture. The trick, they say, is figuring out how to manage the new technology.
Banning Laptops
An incident at the University of Memphis recently brought national attention to the practice of banning laptops.
June Entman, a law professor at the university, forbade students from bringing their computers to her civil-procedure class this spring, arguing that the devices were literally getting in the way of learning. In an e-mail message she sent to the students explaining the ban, she said that when students in the auditorium had their laptop lids open, she could not make eye contact with them.
Douglas Haneline, a professor of English at Ferris State University, tells his students that they cannot turn on their computers or cellphones in his classes.
"It's a matter of class consideration and of not disrupting the learning environment," he says. "I want to arrange it so there are as few distractions as possible." He says he tries to use humor when explaining his ban on laptops and on cellphones:
Andrew B. Aylesworth, an associate professor of marketing at Bentley, says that even though the college for years has required students to buy laptops, this academic year was the first time he saw a critical mass of students use their machines during classes.
"A couple of them have said, 'I don't have any paper,'" says Mr. Aylesworth. He had them borrow some from classmates.
http://chronicle.com/free/v52/i39/39a02701.htm
Well, sometimes she takes notes — if whatever the professor is going on about seems important. At other times, she uses the wireless Internet access in the college's classrooms to do some online shopping or chat using instant messenger. "If it's material that I know, most of the time I will surf the Internet a little bit," says Ms. Mei, a junior.
To keep students focused on class, some professors now ban laptops from their classrooms, arguing that the devices are just too much of a temptation. Other professors ask laptop users to sit in the front row, in part so the professors can glance down occasionally to see what is on the students' screens. And a few colleges, Bentley among them, have set up systems that let professors switch off classroom Internet access during some sessions.
Of course, professors also point to moments when having laptops and Internet access has helped illustrate a crucial point in a lecture. The trick, they say, is figuring out how to manage the new technology.
Banning Laptops
An incident at the University of Memphis recently brought national attention to the practice of banning laptops.
June Entman, a law professor at the university, forbade students from bringing their computers to her civil-procedure class this spring, arguing that the devices were literally getting in the way of learning. In an e-mail message she sent to the students explaining the ban, she said that when students in the auditorium had their laptop lids open, she could not make eye contact with them.
Douglas Haneline, a professor of English at Ferris State University, tells his students that they cannot turn on their computers or cellphones in his classes.
"It's a matter of class consideration and of not disrupting the learning environment," he says. "I want to arrange it so there are as few distractions as possible." He says he tries to use humor when explaining his ban on laptops and on cellphones:
Andrew B. Aylesworth, an associate professor of marketing at Bentley, says that even though the college for years has required students to buy laptops, this academic year was the first time he saw a critical mass of students use their machines during classes.
"A couple of them have said, 'I don't have any paper,'" says Mr. Aylesworth. He had them borrow some from classmates.
http://chronicle.com/free/v52/i39/39a02701.htm
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Why Waking Up Early Is So Hard
Call it the "clock gene." That's the long and short of it. Literally. Whether you find it impossibly difficult to get up early in the morning or you just can't keep your eyes open after 9 p.m. is because of a gene called Period 3, which has been identified by researchers at Britain's University of Surrey.
Period 3, which helps to regulate our internal body clocks, comes in two sizes. A long one. And a short one. People who have an extreme preference for early mornings are more likely to have a long version of Period 3, while those who stay up until the wee hours of the morning are more likely to have the shorter version, reports the BBC News.
Of course, that's the simplistic explanation. Study leader Dr. Simon Archer is the first to admit that your preference for sleeping late or retiring early is a complex behavioral trait that is governed by more than a single gene. "It is a combination of genes that interact together to form your body clock," he explained to the BBC. "But, of course, there is an influence from your lifestyle. It is not all to do with your genetics. You can chose to follow a particular life pattern. You can override your genes."
The study: The University of Surrey researchers corralled some 500 people who visited London's Science Museum. In addition to taking DNA samples from their cheeks, the researchers asked them to complete questionnaires about their lifestyles to determine if they were larks or night owls. They did this by asking what time of day they preferred to exercise and how difficult they found it to wake up in the morning. Then they compared the DNA results--the length of that Period 3 clock gene--to the questionnaire answers.
The results: "We found most of the extreme morning preference people have the longer gene and the extreme evening preference people have the short gene," Archer told the BBC. "There are extreme morning people and extreme evening people, and it seems that behavior has a genetic basis to it."
There are practical advantages to obeying--instead of fighting--your natural body clock. With our 24/7 workplace, you might be able to better schedule your work time to fit your Period 3 clock gene. Opt for an early start and beat the rush or choose to begin work after noon and then stay there until all hours of the night.The study findings were published in Sleep, the journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
Period 3, which helps to regulate our internal body clocks, comes in two sizes. A long one. And a short one. People who have an extreme preference for early mornings are more likely to have a long version of Period 3, while those who stay up until the wee hours of the morning are more likely to have the shorter version, reports the BBC News.
Of course, that's the simplistic explanation. Study leader Dr. Simon Archer is the first to admit that your preference for sleeping late or retiring early is a complex behavioral trait that is governed by more than a single gene. "It is a combination of genes that interact together to form your body clock," he explained to the BBC. "But, of course, there is an influence from your lifestyle. It is not all to do with your genetics. You can chose to follow a particular life pattern. You can override your genes."
The study: The University of Surrey researchers corralled some 500 people who visited London's Science Museum. In addition to taking DNA samples from their cheeks, the researchers asked them to complete questionnaires about their lifestyles to determine if they were larks or night owls. They did this by asking what time of day they preferred to exercise and how difficult they found it to wake up in the morning. Then they compared the DNA results--the length of that Period 3 clock gene--to the questionnaire answers.
The results: "We found most of the extreme morning preference people have the longer gene and the extreme evening preference people have the short gene," Archer told the BBC. "There are extreme morning people and extreme evening people, and it seems that behavior has a genetic basis to it."
There are practical advantages to obeying--instead of fighting--your natural body clock. With our 24/7 workplace, you might be able to better schedule your work time to fit your Period 3 clock gene. Opt for an early start and beat the rush or choose to begin work after noon and then stay there until all hours of the night.The study findings were published in Sleep, the journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
Friday, April 13, 2007
25 Signs You're Hearing a Lie
Whether it's your spouse, your boss, or your child, it's possible to determine if that person is lying to you just by carefully watching for clues.
According to Sheri and Bob Stritof, authors of "Your Guide to Marriage" on About.com, there are specific verbal and nonverbal clues we all give when we tell a fib. While few people would exhibit all of these, it's the rare person who can tell a lie and not exhibit some of them!
25 signs to tell if someone is lying to you:
1. Touching the chin or rubbing the brow
2. Crossed arms or legs
3. Playing with hair
4. A line of perspiration on the brow if it isn't a warm day
5. Saying "no" several times
6. Continually denying accusations
7. Being extremely defensive
8. Providing more information and specifics than necessary
9. Inconsistencies in what is being shared
10. Body language and facial expressions don't match what is being said such as saying "no," but nodding the head up and down
11. Smugness
12. Placing a barrier, such as a desk or chair, in front of self
13. Uncommon calmness
14. Unwillingness to touch spouse during conversation
15. Being hesitant
16. Slouching posture
17 Rigidity or fidgeting
18. Differing behaviors; not acting in a usual fashion
19. Unnatural or limited arm and hand movements
20. Partial shrug
21. Lack of finger pointing
22. Unusual voice fluctuations, word choice, sentence structure
23. Stalling the conversation by repetitive use of pauses and comments like "um" or "you know"
24. Lack of use of contractions; prefers emphasizing "not" when talking
25. Avoidance of eye contact, eyes glancing to the right, staring past you, or turning away from you while talking
The Stritofs note that it is quite possible to mistake nervousness or distraction for lying or for misreading or mislabeling your spouse's behaviors.
What do you do if you think you're being told a lie by someone who is close to you? Ask questions. Ask for clarification. Trust your gut.
According to Sheri and Bob Stritof, authors of "Your Guide to Marriage" on About.com, there are specific verbal and nonverbal clues we all give when we tell a fib. While few people would exhibit all of these, it's the rare person who can tell a lie and not exhibit some of them!
25 signs to tell if someone is lying to you:
1. Touching the chin or rubbing the brow
2. Crossed arms or legs
3. Playing with hair
4. A line of perspiration on the brow if it isn't a warm day
5. Saying "no" several times
6. Continually denying accusations
7. Being extremely defensive
8. Providing more information and specifics than necessary
9. Inconsistencies in what is being shared
10. Body language and facial expressions don't match what is being said such as saying "no," but nodding the head up and down
11. Smugness
12. Placing a barrier, such as a desk or chair, in front of self
13. Uncommon calmness
14. Unwillingness to touch spouse during conversation
15. Being hesitant
16. Slouching posture
17 Rigidity or fidgeting
18. Differing behaviors; not acting in a usual fashion
19. Unnatural or limited arm and hand movements
20. Partial shrug
21. Lack of finger pointing
22. Unusual voice fluctuations, word choice, sentence structure
23. Stalling the conversation by repetitive use of pauses and comments like "um" or "you know"
24. Lack of use of contractions; prefers emphasizing "not" when talking
25. Avoidance of eye contact, eyes glancing to the right, staring past you, or turning away from you while talking
The Stritofs note that it is quite possible to mistake nervousness or distraction for lying or for misreading or mislabeling your spouse's behaviors.
What do you do if you think you're being told a lie by someone who is close to you? Ask questions. Ask for clarification. Trust your gut.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Why smart people fail tests?
The people who are most likely to succeed could also be the most likely to choke under pressure.
Those who are blessed with brains and what scientists call a high working-memory capacity are expected to do well on tests, but a study from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and Michigan State University in East Lansing finds that these same people often crack under pressure and do much worse on simple exams than when they are allowed to work with no constraints, report LiveScience and HealthDayNews.
Why? It's internal pressure--that feeling of, "I can't mess up!" These thoughts reside in the same area of the brain as the high working-memory and they actually compete for the same space, limiting the person's ability to do the task at hand. "When they begin to worry, then they're in trouble," Sian Beilock, assistant professor of psychology at Miami and co-researcher along with Thomas Carr of Michigan State, told LiveScience. "People with lower working-memory capacities are not using that capacity to begin with, so they're not affected by pressure."
Also called short-term memory, working memory allows us to hold information in our brain that is relevant to performance and ensures that we focus on the task at hand. It is because of working memory that we can remember and retrieve information for a long task, such as long division. "In these math problems students have to perform subtraction and division, and if you're trying to hold information in your memory and you start worrying about performance, then you can't use your entire mental capacity to do the math," Beilock told LiveScience.
In this study, 93 Michigan State students were divided into two groups based on their working memory capacity. Both groups were given the same test, a 24-problem math exam, in a low-pressure environment. The students with high working memory substantially outperformed those with low working memory. But when the pressure was put on--students were told not only that they were part of a team and an improved score would earn a cash reward, but also that their performance was being judged by math professors--the group with the high working memory choked. Their score dropped to that of the group with the low working memory, whose performance was not affected by the increased pressure.
Working memory is a critical component to getting a high score on important standardized tests, such as the SAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT. And this is why being a genius does not guarantee a perfect score on the SAT.
Take heart, brainiacs. All is not lost. Jeremy Gray, an assistant professor of psychology at Yale University, told HealthDayNews that smart people can regain their natural advantage by rehearsing the test in an equally pressure-filled environment. "You can really do a lot through practice and training to improve," he said. The research findings were published in the journal Psychological Science.
Those who are blessed with brains and what scientists call a high working-memory capacity are expected to do well on tests, but a study from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and Michigan State University in East Lansing finds that these same people often crack under pressure and do much worse on simple exams than when they are allowed to work with no constraints, report LiveScience and HealthDayNews.
Why? It's internal pressure--that feeling of, "I can't mess up!" These thoughts reside in the same area of the brain as the high working-memory and they actually compete for the same space, limiting the person's ability to do the task at hand. "When they begin to worry, then they're in trouble," Sian Beilock, assistant professor of psychology at Miami and co-researcher along with Thomas Carr of Michigan State, told LiveScience. "People with lower working-memory capacities are not using that capacity to begin with, so they're not affected by pressure."
Also called short-term memory, working memory allows us to hold information in our brain that is relevant to performance and ensures that we focus on the task at hand. It is because of working memory that we can remember and retrieve information for a long task, such as long division. "In these math problems students have to perform subtraction and division, and if you're trying to hold information in your memory and you start worrying about performance, then you can't use your entire mental capacity to do the math," Beilock told LiveScience.
In this study, 93 Michigan State students were divided into two groups based on their working memory capacity. Both groups were given the same test, a 24-problem math exam, in a low-pressure environment. The students with high working memory substantially outperformed those with low working memory. But when the pressure was put on--students were told not only that they were part of a team and an improved score would earn a cash reward, but also that their performance was being judged by math professors--the group with the high working memory choked. Their score dropped to that of the group with the low working memory, whose performance was not affected by the increased pressure.
Working memory is a critical component to getting a high score on important standardized tests, such as the SAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT. And this is why being a genius does not guarantee a perfect score on the SAT.
Take heart, brainiacs. All is not lost. Jeremy Gray, an assistant professor of psychology at Yale University, told HealthDayNews that smart people can regain their natural advantage by rehearsing the test in an equally pressure-filled environment. "You can really do a lot through practice and training to improve," he said. The research findings were published in the journal Psychological Science.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Sleep on Your Tummy? Terrific Benefit
People who sleep on their stomachs have lower nighttime blood pressure than people who sleep in other positions, according to new research from Japan.Speaking before a conference of the American Heart Association, researcher Yasuharu Tabara of Ehime University School of Medicine in Ehime, Japan, noted that high blood pressure during the night can increase the risk of a nighttime heart attack, reports Patient Health International.
The study: More than 270 healthy men ages 19 to 64 who were not taking blood pressure medication wore automatic blood pressure cuffs. They were first asked to lie down face up and later were told to turn over on their stomachs.
The results: In almost all the men, their overall blood pressure dropped significantly when they were face down. And 25 of the men experienced an even more dramatic decrease of more than 15 points when they just turned over onto their stomachs. In addition, systolic blood pressure, which is the force blood exerts on the artery walls when the heart beats, fell by as much as 15 mmHg in response to moving into the prone position, compared with the supine position, reports Patient Health International.
"These findings indicate that sleeping position could influence blood pressure," the researchers told the AHA conference in Chicago, Illinois. "Marked change in blood pressure during sleep by turning the position may need to be further studied as a possible cause of the cardiovascular events during the sleep."
The study: More than 270 healthy men ages 19 to 64 who were not taking blood pressure medication wore automatic blood pressure cuffs. They were first asked to lie down face up and later were told to turn over on their stomachs.
The results: In almost all the men, their overall blood pressure dropped significantly when they were face down. And 25 of the men experienced an even more dramatic decrease of more than 15 points when they just turned over onto their stomachs. In addition, systolic blood pressure, which is the force blood exerts on the artery walls when the heart beats, fell by as much as 15 mmHg in response to moving into the prone position, compared with the supine position, reports Patient Health International.
"These findings indicate that sleeping position could influence blood pressure," the researchers told the AHA conference in Chicago, Illinois. "Marked change in blood pressure during sleep by turning the position may need to be further studied as a possible cause of the cardiovascular events during the sleep."
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Top 3 most hated inventions
We hate them. But we need them. They drive us nuts. But we can't live without them. We are talking about the top three most hated inventions that we absolutely have to have, which are:
1. Cell phones
2. Alarm clocks
3. Television
That's the word from the annual Massachusetts Institute of Technology survey, known as the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index. Fully 30 percent of the 1,023 adults and 500 teenagers polled in this annual survey cited cell phones as the most hated, must-have invention, which placed it in the top spot. Alarm clocks followed closely at 25 percent, with television at 23 percent. (What? You don't like reality shows?)
Other hated, but must-have inventions:
Shaving razors
Microwave ovens
Coffee pots
Computers
Vacuum cleaners
So what is this love-hate relationship we have with our cell phones? "The interconnectedness you get from the cell phone is a very positive thing, and I think that's one of the most important things, the bringing together of people. The downside of that is that you sometimes want to be alone," said Lemelson Center Director Merton C. Flemings. The Lemelson-MIT Program is a non-profit organization that celebrates inventors and inventions. What inventions make our lives easier? Teens overwhelmingly said e-mail and voicemail, while more than half of the adults cited credit cards and debit cards.
We do agree on one thing. Almost all of us--95 percent--say inventions have improved the quality of our lives.
1. Cell phones
2. Alarm clocks
3. Television
That's the word from the annual Massachusetts Institute of Technology survey, known as the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index. Fully 30 percent of the 1,023 adults and 500 teenagers polled in this annual survey cited cell phones as the most hated, must-have invention, which placed it in the top spot. Alarm clocks followed closely at 25 percent, with television at 23 percent. (What? You don't like reality shows?)
Other hated, but must-have inventions:
Shaving razors
Microwave ovens
Coffee pots
Computers
Vacuum cleaners
So what is this love-hate relationship we have with our cell phones? "The interconnectedness you get from the cell phone is a very positive thing, and I think that's one of the most important things, the bringing together of people. The downside of that is that you sometimes want to be alone," said Lemelson Center Director Merton C. Flemings. The Lemelson-MIT Program is a non-profit organization that celebrates inventors and inventions. What inventions make our lives easier? Teens overwhelmingly said e-mail and voicemail, while more than half of the adults cited credit cards and debit cards.
We do agree on one thing. Almost all of us--95 percent--say inventions have improved the quality of our lives.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
The Most Unpopular School Subject
Some of us love math. Many of us just hate it. According to an AP-AOL News poll of 1,000 adults, almost four in 10 of those surveyed said they hated math in school. That's twice as many as felt that strongly about any other school subject, reports The Associated Press.But not everyone hates math. About 25 percent of those surveyed said it was their favorite subject, which is about the same number who chose English and history. Slightly less chose science. Of course, math is one of those subjects that appeals to people who like clear cut answers. One plus one is two. Those who find such a black and white process overwhelming, prefer subjects that have a bit of gray and allow for interpretation and debate.What's alarming about 40 percent of us hating math? It complicates efforts in U.S. schools to catch up with those math whizzes in Asia and Europe, notes AP. Math and science are critical to research, innovation and economic competitiveness, making it vital that students have a solid grounding in all subjects so they can become well-rounded citizens and skilled workers. How do we get kids interested in math? Fifth-grade math teacher Dianne Peterson of Merritt Island, Fla., told AP the key is to make it fun and capture their imagination at a young age. "I do a lot with music with them," Peterson told AP about how she teaches the multiplication tables. "I've got some CDs that go over the facts. Some of it is rap and some of it is jazzy songs."If you could do it all over again, to what subject would you pay closer attention? The overwhelming answer in the AP-AOL News poll is foreign language, a response that might be sparked by the growing number of immigrants in this country. More than half said children should get more education in both science and the arts.An even more apt answer to that question might be paying attention to what the teacher said no matter what the subject. The New York Times reports that only about half of high school graduates have the reading skills they need to succeed in college, while even fewer are prepared for college-level math and science, according to a yearly report from ACT, which produces one of the nation's leading college admissions tests. "It is very likely that hundreds of thousands of students will have a disconnect between their plans for college and the cold reality of their readiness for college," Richard Ferguson, ACT chief executive, said in a statement announcing the findings.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The Rudest Drivers in The USA
If you get behind the wheel in Miami, Fla., beware! Drivers in this city are the rudest in the country. They speed. And tailgate. They change lanes without signaling. And they'll cut you off without a second thought.
That's the word from the automobile membership club AutoVantage of Norwalk, Conn., which has ranked the top five U.S. cities with the worst road rage, reports The Associated Press. The results are based on a survey of 2,000 adult drivers who regularly commute in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas.
The Worst Cities for Road Rage:
Miami
Phoenix
New York
Los Angeles
BostonCities With the Most Courteous Drivers:
Minneapolis
Nashville
St. Louis
Seattle
Atlanta
What do we do when we encounter road rage? The drivers who are most likely to react to a rude driver are those who are young or have long commutes. To show their displeasure, they honk the horn, curse or make an obscene gesture. What should you do? AutoVantage recommends remaining calm and don't make eye contact with an angry driver. Instead, call them one of the names below--if only to yourself. Hagerty, an insurance agency for collector vehicles and boats, conducted a nationwide survey to find out the top 10 things drivers do that frustrate and annoy other drivers. How many of these do you see on your daily commute?
Top 10 Driving Pet Peeves:
1. Motor Mouths: Distracted drivers talking on cell phones.
2. Turtle Racers: Slow drivers in the fast lane.
3. Piggybackers: Pushy drivers who tailgate.
4. Wacky Weavers: Drivers who weave through traffic to gain one or two car lengths.
5. Gap Snatchers: Obnoxious drivers who speed up to keep you from changing lanes.
6. Space Invaders: Hasty drivers who change lanes without signaling.
7. Road Ragers: Those drivers who feel the slow burn and red hot anger of road rage--and then act on it.
8. Speed Racers: Motorcyclists who race down the middle of a lane between cars.
9. Driving Divas: Women applying makeup and men shaving.
10. Morse Coders: Drivers who leave their turn signal on for miles.
That's the word from the automobile membership club AutoVantage of Norwalk, Conn., which has ranked the top five U.S. cities with the worst road rage, reports The Associated Press. The results are based on a survey of 2,000 adult drivers who regularly commute in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas.
The Worst Cities for Road Rage:
Miami
Phoenix
New York
Los Angeles
BostonCities With the Most Courteous Drivers:
Minneapolis
Nashville
St. Louis
Seattle
Atlanta
What do we do when we encounter road rage? The drivers who are most likely to react to a rude driver are those who are young or have long commutes. To show their displeasure, they honk the horn, curse or make an obscene gesture. What should you do? AutoVantage recommends remaining calm and don't make eye contact with an angry driver. Instead, call them one of the names below--if only to yourself. Hagerty, an insurance agency for collector vehicles and boats, conducted a nationwide survey to find out the top 10 things drivers do that frustrate and annoy other drivers. How many of these do you see on your daily commute?
Top 10 Driving Pet Peeves:
1. Motor Mouths: Distracted drivers talking on cell phones.
2. Turtle Racers: Slow drivers in the fast lane.
3. Piggybackers: Pushy drivers who tailgate.
4. Wacky Weavers: Drivers who weave through traffic to gain one or two car lengths.
5. Gap Snatchers: Obnoxious drivers who speed up to keep you from changing lanes.
6. Space Invaders: Hasty drivers who change lanes without signaling.
7. Road Ragers: Those drivers who feel the slow burn and red hot anger of road rage--and then act on it.
8. Speed Racers: Motorcyclists who race down the middle of a lane between cars.
9. Driving Divas: Women applying makeup and men shaving.
10. Morse Coders: Drivers who leave their turn signal on for miles.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Number 1 leisure activity
...reading!
Fully 35 percent of us cite reading as our favorite leisure-time activity, according to a new nationwide Harris Poll of 1,017 adults who were asked to name two or three favorite ways to spend their free time. That's a big increase from the 24 percent of those who listed reading as their favorite pastime last year.
Coming in second place at 21 percent was watching television, followed closely by the 20 percent who most enjoy spending time with their family and children. While the numbers have varied from year to year, these three activities have topped the list virtually every year since The Harris Poll began asking this question in 1995.
Here are our favorite activities ranked in order of preference:
Reading: 35 percent
TV watching: 21 percent
Spending time with family and kids: 20 percent
Going to the movies: 10 percent
Fishing: 8 percent
Computer activities: 7 percent
6 percent: Gardening, renting movies, walking, exercise (aerobics and weights), and listening to music.
5 percent: Entertaining, hunting, playing team sports, and shopping.
4 percent: Traveling, sleeping, socializing with friends/neighbors, sewing/crocheting, golf, going to church, and church-related activities.
3 percent: Playing music, housework, crafts (unspecified), watching sporting events, and bicycling.
2 percent: Playing cards, hiking, cooking, eating out/dining out, woodworking, swimming, camping, skiing, working on cars, writing, and boating.
1 percent: Motorcycling, animals/pets/dogs, bowling, painting, running, dancing, horseback riding, tennis, and theater.
Notable trends between the two polls taken in 1995 and 2004:
Spending time with family and children, reading, socializing with friends and neighbors, and exercising had the biggest rise in popularity since 1995.
Spending time on computer-related activities jumped 5 points from 2 percent to 7 percent in this nine-year period.
The biggest declines in popularity were in swimming, watching television, playing team sports, gardening, sewing/crocheting, and bowling.
Fully 35 percent of us cite reading as our favorite leisure-time activity, according to a new nationwide Harris Poll of 1,017 adults who were asked to name two or three favorite ways to spend their free time. That's a big increase from the 24 percent of those who listed reading as their favorite pastime last year.
Coming in second place at 21 percent was watching television, followed closely by the 20 percent who most enjoy spending time with their family and children. While the numbers have varied from year to year, these three activities have topped the list virtually every year since The Harris Poll began asking this question in 1995.
Here are our favorite activities ranked in order of preference:
Reading: 35 percent
TV watching: 21 percent
Spending time with family and kids: 20 percent
Going to the movies: 10 percent
Fishing: 8 percent
Computer activities: 7 percent
6 percent: Gardening, renting movies, walking, exercise (aerobics and weights), and listening to music.
5 percent: Entertaining, hunting, playing team sports, and shopping.
4 percent: Traveling, sleeping, socializing with friends/neighbors, sewing/crocheting, golf, going to church, and church-related activities.
3 percent: Playing music, housework, crafts (unspecified), watching sporting events, and bicycling.
2 percent: Playing cards, hiking, cooking, eating out/dining out, woodworking, swimming, camping, skiing, working on cars, writing, and boating.
1 percent: Motorcycling, animals/pets/dogs, bowling, painting, running, dancing, horseback riding, tennis, and theater.
Notable trends between the two polls taken in 1995 and 2004:
Spending time with family and children, reading, socializing with friends and neighbors, and exercising had the biggest rise in popularity since 1995.
Spending time on computer-related activities jumped 5 points from 2 percent to 7 percent in this nine-year period.
The biggest declines in popularity were in swimming, watching television, playing team sports, gardening, sewing/crocheting, and bowling.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Why it pays to be mean at work?
Nice guys finish last--in the office. The more caring you are, the less likely it is you'll be promoted.Whatever happened to working together as a team? People who care for their colleagues are unlikely to be promoted, according to a study of 308 white collar workers by Dr. Nikos Bozionelos, a professor in the management school at Great Britain's University of Sheffield, reports News-Medical.Net. Why? Those who have an agreeable personality and think about and care for others tend to neglect their own careers.The study: Just over 300 white collar, professional workers were interviewed about their accomplishments at work. Success in the workplace is either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic success is an objective measurement, typically defined by job grade or level. Intrinsic success is more subjective and is measured by job satisfaction, financial accomplishments, and the like. In this study, each participant's job grade was noted, and each was asked to evaluate his or her career using five intrinsic measurements.The results: Previous studies have strongly linked personality traits and disposition to career success, but unlike those studies this one examined the relationship between a person's disposition and his or her success within a specific company. Bozionelos and his colleagues found that three personality types were less likely to be successful in their careers: agreeable people, conscientious workers, and the neurotic.Agreeable personalitiesEmployees who had agreeable personalities and were also altruistic, friendly, and sensitive to the needs of others tended to assign lower priority to their careers and related activities, reports News-Medical.Net. In some cases, these people would even step aside at the expense of their own career success so a colleague could be promoted instead.Conscientious workersConscientious workers miss out on career success most likely because they are concentrating too hard on performing well and in the process overlook networking opportunities and other career prospects.Neurotic personalitiesThese people do less well because they often lower their aspirations and consciously restrict their career and professional choices.Why is this information useful?Managers should recognize that people with certain personality traits may need special career development advice. "It will be of substantial assistance to individuals to be aware of the advantages and limitations that their personality profiles offer and impose," Bozionelos explained. "For example, agreeable individuals can become aware of their natural tendency to downgrade themselves and neurotic individuals can learn to adjust their negative outlook of life and personal success."The findings have been published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Scientific Studies that Show a Positive Effect of Religion on Health
Scientific studies over the last four decades have examined the role of both public and private religious expression on health and longevity. The studies have shown that the practice of religious activity improves health and increases longevity. The effect is seen even when other social/psychological differences are taken into account. For example, one 16-year study examined mortality rates in 11 religious vs. 11 secular kibbutzim in Israel. Although both communities were demographically-matched and provided similar levels of social support, three time more people died in the secular kibbutzim compared to the religious kibbutazim. The following is a short list of some recent studies that have shown the positive influence of religion on health and longevity.
Tully J, Viner RM, Coen PG, Stuart JM, Zambon M, Peckham C, Booth C, Klein N, Kaczmarski E, Booy R. 2006. Risk and Protective Factors for Meningococcal Disease in Adolescents: Matched Cohort Study. BMJ 332: 445-450.
A study of meningococcal disease in adolescents in the UK showed that religious observance was as effective as meningococcal vaccination for preventing meningococcal disease.
O'Connor P.J., N.P. Pronk, A. Tan, and R.P. Whitebird. 2005. Characteristics of adults who use prayer as an alternative therapy. Am. J. Health Promot. 19:369-375.
A study of prayer use by patients showed that 47% of study subjects prayed for their health, and 90% of these believed prayer improved their health. Those who prayed had significantly less smoking and alcohol use and more preventive care visits, influenza immunizations, vegetable intake, satisfaction with care, and social support, and were more likely to have a regular primary care provider. The study concluded that those who pray had more favorable health-related behaviors, preventive service use, and satisfaction with care.
Krucoff, M. W., et al. 2005. Music, imagery, touch, and prayer as adjuncts to interventional cardiac care: the Monitoring and Actualisation of Noetic Trainings (MANTRA) II randomised study. Lancet 366:211-217.
This double blind study used prayer in combination with music, imagery, and touch in four randomly assigned groups of cardiac patients. Intercessory prayer groups included Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist religious traditions. Overall, the study found no significant effect of prayer. However, major adverse cardiac events were reduced in the prayer group (23% to 27%), as were death and readmission rates (33% to 35%). The inclusion of intercessors of multiple religious traditions may have reduced the effectiveness of prayer, especially since Buddhists (who do not believe in God) were included in the study.
D'Souza, R.F. and A. Rodrigo. 2004. Spiritually augmented cognitive behavioural therapy. Australas Psychiatry 12: 148-152.
This study used spiritually augmented cognitive behavior therapy in a mental health study. The study demonstrated that spiritually augmented cognitive behavior therapy helped reduce hopelessness and despair, improved treatment collaboration, reduced relapse, and enhanced functional recovery.
Palmer, R. F., D. Katerndahl, and J. Morgan-Kidd. 2004. A Randomized Trial of the Effects of Remote Intercessory Prayer: Interactions with Personal Beliefs on Problem-Specific Outcomes and Functional Status. J. Alt. Compl. Med. 10: 438-448.
A randomized clinical trial found a significant reduction in the amount of pain in the intercessory prayer group compared to controls. In addition, the amount of concern for baseline problems at follow-up was significantly lower in the prayer group when the subject initially believed that the problem could be resolved. Those who did not believe that their problem could be resolved did not differ from controls. Better physical functioning was observed in the prayer group for those with a higher belief in prayer. However, better mental health scores were observed in the control group with lower belief in prayer scores.
Krucoff, M. W., S. W. Crater, C. L. Green, A. C. Maas, J. E. Seskevich, J. D. Lane, K. A. Loeffler, K. Morris, T. M. Bashore, and H. G. Koenig. 2001. Integrative noetic therapies as adjuncts to percutaneous intervention during unstable coronary syndromes: Monitoring and Actualization of Noetic Training (MANTRA) feasibility pilot. Am. Heart J. 142: 760-767.
A pilot study8 (limited to150 patients) examining the efficacy of noetic (non-pharmacological) therapies (stress relaxation, imagery, touch therapy, and prayer) found that "Of all noetic therapies, off-site intercessory prayer had the lowest short- and long-term absolute complication rates." The results did not reach statistical significance due to the small sample size, but a full study is planned.
Pargament, K. I., H. G. Koenig, N. Tarakeshwar, J. Hahn. 2001. Religious Struggle as a Predictor of Mortality Among Medically Ill Elderly Patients A 2-Year Longitudinal Study. Arch. Intern Med. 161: 1881-1883.
A study examined the effect of "religious struggle" (defined by such things as being angry at God or feeling punished by God) was predictive of poorer physical recovery and higher mortality. According to the authors, "Our findings suggest that patients who indicate religious struggle during a spiritual history may be at particularly high risk for poor medical outcomes. Referral of these patients to clergy to help them work through these issues may ultimately improve clinical outcomes; further research is needed to determine whether interventions that reduce religious struggles might also improve medical prognosis."
Hughes M. Helma, Judith C. Haysb, Elizabeth P. Flintb, Harold G. Koeniga and Dan G. Blazera. 2000. Does Private Religious Activity Prolong Survival? A Six-Year Follow-up Study of 3,851 Older Adults. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 55: M400-M405.
A six year study of 3,851 elderly persons revealed that those who reported having rarely to never participating in private religious activity had an increased relative hazard of dying over those who participated more frequently in religious activity. Whereas most previous studies showed a positive effect for organized religious activities, this study showed that personal religious activity was also effective at reducing mortality.
Tully J, Viner RM, Coen PG, Stuart JM, Zambon M, Peckham C, Booth C, Klein N, Kaczmarski E, Booy R. 2006. Risk and Protective Factors for Meningococcal Disease in Adolescents: Matched Cohort Study. BMJ 332: 445-450.
A study of meningococcal disease in adolescents in the UK showed that religious observance was as effective as meningococcal vaccination for preventing meningococcal disease.
O'Connor P.J., N.P. Pronk, A. Tan, and R.P. Whitebird. 2005. Characteristics of adults who use prayer as an alternative therapy. Am. J. Health Promot. 19:369-375.
A study of prayer use by patients showed that 47% of study subjects prayed for their health, and 90% of these believed prayer improved their health. Those who prayed had significantly less smoking and alcohol use and more preventive care visits, influenza immunizations, vegetable intake, satisfaction with care, and social support, and were more likely to have a regular primary care provider. The study concluded that those who pray had more favorable health-related behaviors, preventive service use, and satisfaction with care.
Krucoff, M. W., et al. 2005. Music, imagery, touch, and prayer as adjuncts to interventional cardiac care: the Monitoring and Actualisation of Noetic Trainings (MANTRA) II randomised study. Lancet 366:211-217.
This double blind study used prayer in combination with music, imagery, and touch in four randomly assigned groups of cardiac patients. Intercessory prayer groups included Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist religious traditions. Overall, the study found no significant effect of prayer. However, major adverse cardiac events were reduced in the prayer group (23% to 27%), as were death and readmission rates (33% to 35%). The inclusion of intercessors of multiple religious traditions may have reduced the effectiveness of prayer, especially since Buddhists (who do not believe in God) were included in the study.
D'Souza, R.F. and A. Rodrigo. 2004. Spiritually augmented cognitive behavioural therapy. Australas Psychiatry 12: 148-152.
This study used spiritually augmented cognitive behavior therapy in a mental health study. The study demonstrated that spiritually augmented cognitive behavior therapy helped reduce hopelessness and despair, improved treatment collaboration, reduced relapse, and enhanced functional recovery.
Palmer, R. F., D. Katerndahl, and J. Morgan-Kidd. 2004. A Randomized Trial of the Effects of Remote Intercessory Prayer: Interactions with Personal Beliefs on Problem-Specific Outcomes and Functional Status. J. Alt. Compl. Med. 10: 438-448.
A randomized clinical trial found a significant reduction in the amount of pain in the intercessory prayer group compared to controls. In addition, the amount of concern for baseline problems at follow-up was significantly lower in the prayer group when the subject initially believed that the problem could be resolved. Those who did not believe that their problem could be resolved did not differ from controls. Better physical functioning was observed in the prayer group for those with a higher belief in prayer. However, better mental health scores were observed in the control group with lower belief in prayer scores.
Krucoff, M. W., S. W. Crater, C. L. Green, A. C. Maas, J. E. Seskevich, J. D. Lane, K. A. Loeffler, K. Morris, T. M. Bashore, and H. G. Koenig. 2001. Integrative noetic therapies as adjuncts to percutaneous intervention during unstable coronary syndromes: Monitoring and Actualization of Noetic Training (MANTRA) feasibility pilot. Am. Heart J. 142: 760-767.
A pilot study8 (limited to150 patients) examining the efficacy of noetic (non-pharmacological) therapies (stress relaxation, imagery, touch therapy, and prayer) found that "Of all noetic therapies, off-site intercessory prayer had the lowest short- and long-term absolute complication rates." The results did not reach statistical significance due to the small sample size, but a full study is planned.
Pargament, K. I., H. G. Koenig, N. Tarakeshwar, J. Hahn. 2001. Religious Struggle as a Predictor of Mortality Among Medically Ill Elderly Patients A 2-Year Longitudinal Study. Arch. Intern Med. 161: 1881-1883.
A study examined the effect of "religious struggle" (defined by such things as being angry at God or feeling punished by God) was predictive of poorer physical recovery and higher mortality. According to the authors, "Our findings suggest that patients who indicate religious struggle during a spiritual history may be at particularly high risk for poor medical outcomes. Referral of these patients to clergy to help them work through these issues may ultimately improve clinical outcomes; further research is needed to determine whether interventions that reduce religious struggles might also improve medical prognosis."
Hughes M. Helma, Judith C. Haysb, Elizabeth P. Flintb, Harold G. Koeniga and Dan G. Blazera. 2000. Does Private Religious Activity Prolong Survival? A Six-Year Follow-up Study of 3,851 Older Adults. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 55: M400-M405.
A six year study of 3,851 elderly persons revealed that those who reported having rarely to never participating in private religious activity had an increased relative hazard of dying over those who participated more frequently in religious activity. Whereas most previous studies showed a positive effect for organized religious activities, this study showed that personal religious activity was also effective at reducing mortality.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Are people by nature good, or are they by nature evil?
By that I mean do people have the natural ability in themselves to successfully determine the morally right from the morally wrong and consistently choose to do the right things in their lives?Humanism is one broad spectrum of philosophy that says people are generally good in that they are quite capable of making right moral choices.The Fundamentalist preacher on the other hand will tell you that you are a sinner, Jesus wants to save you and you are doomed without his help.Now my point here is not to start a debate about the finer points of Humanism or Christian Fundamentalism. I’m not an expert on either and may very well be inaccurate in my characterization of one or the other. I ask that you cut me some slack in that department today.
My point is to look at the question at hand, and examine one of the core qualities of people in general.And I’m not going to pretend that I don’t have my own ideas on the issue. I look at the world around me and I see very little evidence that people are naturally good when left on their own. A quick scan through the news headlines reinforces that view. Or look at just about any toddler. Most of the time one of the first words we ever learn is “Mine!“But what I’m really interested to see is the evidence on the other side. I looked at it once and came to my own conclusion. But maybe I missed some things. Can anyone show me how I’m mistaken? Are people really good at the core?
My point is to look at the question at hand, and examine one of the core qualities of people in general.And I’m not going to pretend that I don’t have my own ideas on the issue. I look at the world around me and I see very little evidence that people are naturally good when left on their own. A quick scan through the news headlines reinforces that view. Or look at just about any toddler. Most of the time one of the first words we ever learn is “Mine!“But what I’m really interested to see is the evidence on the other side. I looked at it once and came to my own conclusion. But maybe I missed some things. Can anyone show me how I’m mistaken? Are people really good at the core?
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Do popular people live longer?
People who have achieved high social status not only attend better parties, but also may have better health and greater happiness than their lowly contemporaries, New Scientist reports of research from University College London in the United Kingdom.Call it the status syndrome. It's not about income, but rather the prestige and status one achieves in life. People who have climbed to the higher end of that ladder live happier and longer lives than their lowly contemporaries, insists epidemiologist Michael Marmot. However, there is one catch: One size does not fit all. The effects of this "social gradient" on health can vary widely depending on time and location.Marmot's 30 years of research about social status has largely been conducted in Western countries where absolute deprivation and poverty are rare and income is not as important a factor for happiness and health as it might be in a third world nation. "Where you stand in the social hierarchy--on the social ladder--is intimately related to your chances of getting ill and the length of your life," writes Marmot in his book "Status Syndrome: How Social Standing Affects Our Health and Longevity." An example of the status syndrome: People who have earned doctoral degrees tend to live longer than those who have master's degrees.Much of Marmot's conclusions are based on the Whitehall study, which followed the health of British civil servants and their job grades from the 1970s onwards, notes New Scientist. That study concluded that the people who were at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy, especially clerks and messengers, were more likely to suffer coronary heart disease than the big bosses at the top. Marmot realizes that it's not quite so simple as this and that social arrangements, education, and social cohesion are critical factors as well. "Hierarchies are inevitable, but how hierarchies are translated to differences in health is the crucial question. It varies across time and societies," he told New Scientist.Why do people of lower social status have poorer health? Lack of control and fewer opportunities for full social participation are likely answers. A CEO may have a very stressful job, but the stress may not be difficult to bear if it is predictable and somewhat within that person's control. In addition, such a position carries high social status and that brings more support, as well as more outlets for the stress.
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